Dutch regulator calls for European action against global illegal gambling.
The president of Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch gambling regulator, reiterated his call for a coordinated European response to combat the illegal betting market. Michel Groothuizen published an article on his blog after participating in the annual debate on gambling regulation in the Dutch Parliament.
The regulator stated that isolated national actions are insufficient in the face of illegal operators acting on global networks, often based in jurisdictions beyond the reach of European authorities.
Critique of national performance
Groothuizen acknowledged progress in the parliamentary debate, such as proposals to allow the KSA to use false identities to investigate compliance failures in unlicensed operators. However, he felt that parliamentarians overlooked a central point. "I felt that almost all the spokespeople ignored an important point: our international power," he stated.
The regulator was blunt in comparing the asymmetry between the parties. “We are fighting a global network of ruthless criminal organizations with community police officers, when in fact we should be employing an international investigative service,” said Groothuizen.
Limits on fines applied
The KSA imposed a €24,8 million fine on Novatech in March 2026, but Groothuizen admitted that this type of sanction has limited reach. "We impose fines in the tens of millions, but that is, relatively speaking, only a fraction of what they would have to pay in taxes on their profits if they were legal," he stated.
The regulator also pointed out the difficulty in collecting the penalties. “Furthermore, we impose these fines on parties that change their legal form even faster than they emerge. And even when we know who they are and where they are located, they end up having established themselves in the Comoros or other places where the long arm of the law cannot reach. Consequently, there is not much effective payment of fines,” he added.
Lack of attention in parliament
According to Groothuizen, the lack of debate on the international dimension of the problem will have direct repercussions on public policy. He argues that the Chamber's "lack of attention" to the broader picture "most likely means that the department will also work on European rules only sporadically, lost among all the other priorities that the Chamber sets."
“I find this regrettable, because illegal providers have been operating across borders for a long time. Their entire habitat is international, from financial flows to social media advertising. A real impact requires power at the European level. This perception does not yet seem to be widely shared in the Chamber of Deputies,” he added.
Groothuizen's statement comes as the Dutch government moves forward with discussions on a broad ban on gambling advertising in the country.
